Fruit-drier



(No-Model.)

0. A. PITKIN, s1.

, Y FRUIT DRIER.

Patented Dec..13, 1887.

UNITED STATES PA ENT Orrrcs.

CHARLES A. PITKIN, SR, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,698, dated December 13, 18:. 7.

Application filed June 4, 1887. Serial No. 240,335. (No model.)

To all-whom, it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, CHARLES A. PITKIN, Sr., of San J os, county of Santa Clara, State of California, have invented arr-Improvement in Fruit-Briers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of 'the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in fruit-driers, and is an improvement upon a former application filed by me, Serial No. 236,361, filed April 27, 1887.

My invention consists in the constructions and combinations of devices which I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my device, Figure l is a vertical transverse section of the apparatus, taken through the lines X X, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a longitudial vertical section taken through the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line Y Y, Fig. 1.

A is the shell or case of the drier, having mounted within it the wheel B, formed with radial arms, and having the tray carrying boxes suspended from rods upon the ends of these arms, so as to maintain a horizontal position while the wheel is rotated by suitable machinery.

1n the lower part of the apparatus is a furnace, 1), its products of combustion passing out through the pipes E, these pipes being carried backward and forward a sufficient number of times so that the air in the lower portion of the drier will be fully exposed to their heating influence, after which they are led into a pipe, F, connecting with the vertical flue or chimney G.

H is a deflecting plate or diaphragm,by

which the heated air is directed upward at whatI will call the rearportion ofthe chamber, so as to come in contact with the fruit supported in the trays upon the revolving wheel. As this air becomes loaded with moisture, it is necessary to provide some means for conveniently removing it without losing the drier portion, and in order to do this I take advantage of its tendency to gravitate toward the lower part of the chamber. Upon each side of the furnace are chambers or receptacles H, as shown in Fig. 1, and extending across above these is a movable plate or damper, I,

which extends the full width of the apparatus,

as shown in Fig. 3, and is provided with han- These chambers being full of the moist air,

the damper or diaphragm I is closed, so as to temporarily cut them off from the upper portion of the drying-chamber, when the moist air may be removed either by opening doors connected with the chamber or by means of a pipe, K, leading from the chamber into the pipe F, which conveys the waste heat from the heating-pipes E to the chimney G.

By extending the pipe K some distance within the pipe F the temperature of air therein will be raised and a considerable draft caused by reason of the expansion, and-will consequently act to remove the heavy moist air from the chamber H.

L is a vertical flue or chamber which extends the full height of the apparatus at the side, and has a door, M, opening outwardly from it. In my present invention I place the valve N in the upper part of this chamber, and when the valve is open any moist air which may pass over the top of the vertical partition which separates the chamber L from the remainder of the drier will enter the chamher and settle to the bottom. This receives a considerable portion of the heavy moist air which may have a tendency inthat'direction, and when the chamber L has become filled with it the valve N at the top is closed. The door M may then be opened, so as to discharge this moist air, without any danger of an upward draft or cold air entering the dryingchamber, as the valve N temporarily cuts off this communication. After the chamber L has been emptied of the moist air, the door M may again be closed and the valve or damper N opened to admit another charge. In this way I provide a convenient means for clearing the apparatus of moist heavy air from time to time without cooling it off or losing any great amount of hot air, which is still valuable for drying purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fruit-drying chamber, the heater or stove, the heating-pipes, and the horizontal deflecting-plate, together with the rotating wheel carrying the fruit-drying trays, in combination with the vertical side chamber or passage communicating at the top with the air, and a valve or damper, I, extending across the top of said chambers, whereby the chem bers may be cut off from the upper portion of the drier while being discharged of the moist air, substantially as described.

3. In afruit-drier, the outer case having the heater or furnace, the heating-pipes extending therefrom and opening into a pipe connecting them with the chimney, a deflecting-plate, and a tray-carrying rotating wheel, in combination with the moisture-receiving chambers at the lower part of the apparatus, with the valve or damper by which they are cut ofl from the remainder of the drier, and the pipes leading from these chambers into the pipe F, which conveys the waste heat to the chimney,whereby a draft is produced from the moisture ch'anr bers, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set 111 hand. 1

CHARLES A. PITKI'N, SR. Witnesses: I

HENRIETTA O. PI'rKIN, C. A. PITKIN, Jr. 

